Drvna Industrija (Oct 2008)
Sawmilling in Croatia Part 1 – Historical Review of Croatian Sawmilling
Abstract
This paper presents the development of sawmilling in Croatia from the time of the first water- driven sawmills until the end of the 20th century. This overview is based on resources from various authors from this country that have dealt with this theme. Data on the first water-driven sawmills in Croatia date back to the beginning of the 15th century. The first steam- driven sawmills in Croatia were built in the second half of the 19th century. Opening and managing these types of sawmills was mostly financed by foreign capital. The main machinery used in steam-driven sawmills was almost exclusively the vertical frame saw. A number of steam-driven sawmills were used until the beginning of World War II. In the period after World War II until 1952, most damaged mills were renewed and almost all ruined mills were reconstructed. Due to increasing demands for sawn wood used as final products, with a simultaneous drop in sawmilling log quality, sawmill capacities were expanded, grouped and partially modernized in the period between 1953 and 1960. From 1960 until the Homeland War in 1990, most sawmills were reconstructed according to modern techniques and technology of that time and in accordance with the demand forbetter finalization of sawn wood. The war brought material damages. According to some estimates, 25 % of wood industry production capacity was totally devastated or severely damaged and indirect damages caused by the war and its consequences were not smaller than that. During and after the war in the new Croatian state, in an attempt to fix the situation, privatization and revitalization of large wood industry enterprises began and old sawmills were closed and new sawmill capacities opened.
